Ground broken 20 months ago; construction to start Monday on movie studio in Shreveport, La.

La. mayor: Building starts Monday on film studio

SHREVEPORT, La. — Almost two years after groundbreaking, Shreveport Mayor Cedrick Glover says construction will start Monday on the Nu Image/Millenniium Films studio.

Work must begin this month to qualify for tax credits worth up to 40 percent of building costs.

The mayor, company executives and others held a news conference Wednesday.

The company plans a $10 million, 53,000-square-foot building, starting with two sound stages and office space, and later adding prop storage and a carpentry mill.

They’re paying the city $1,200 a year to lease 6.7 acres.

Ground was broken in April 2008. Glover says the national recession hurt financing.

Executive Diego Martinez says that next summer, Millennium will shoot a $30 million 3-D movie starring Nicholas Cage.